The Ford Fiesta range comes in a wide variety of models.

Ford has always made great cars – good for hard-working small business owners to use as company cars. Just think about the history: Model T, Model A, Anglia, Escort, Cortina, the list goes on…

Our generation is lucky to get the Fiesta and its slightly cheaper “little sister,” the Figo. The Figo, which is actually the previous generation Fiesta, is slightly down-specked and made in India, but with Ford quality control.

Fiesta comes in a wide variety of models – from the five-door Ambiente 1.4 at R176 000 to the sporty three-door ST boy racer at R267 700. The 1.0 Ecoboost turbo petrol models range from R226 000 to R247 300.

The Figo range starts at R129 800, topping off with the 1.4 TDCi at R139 400.

They are well priced and equipped, offering great basic wheels with a touch of finesse. These engines are ridiculously economical for a petrol engine and can give fuel consumption around 5 litres per 100 km, but I got 7 litres per 100 km. Ford claims less than 4 litres per 100 km on the open road, and the 1.6 TDCi turbo diesels use less than 4.5 litres per 100 km, according to Ford. All the Fiestas are a real pleasure to drive.

The handling and road-holding is class-leading and much better than the older model. Finally, we get a small car where the electronic steering lets you feel what’s happening on the road.

The interiors are very pleasant, with a number of stowage places, and it all appears well put together.

And there are some finer differences such as the the blue lighting of the control panel.

The rear seat has a 60/40 split and the front seats are six-way adjustable, allowing you to set them up for maximum comfort.

Ford’s sync system lets you talk to the sound system and your phone – a bit like a really nifty hands-free kit – and the Sony audio system is surprisingly good.

The Fiesta comes standard with safety features such as airbags, ABS, EBD, pretension seat-belts and so on. Most models also offer electronic stability assist and hill launch assist.

Nice touches include follow-me-home lights, tinted glass, a rear fog lamp on all models and front fog lamps on most models.

There are three trim levels to choose from: Ambiente, Trend and Titanium. The warranty is for four years or 120 000 km and the service plan is for four years or
60 000 km.

Comparative options for those in this market segment are the VW Polo, Kia Rio, Honda Jazz, Hyundai Elantra and Peugeot 208.

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